GL1500SE Gold Wing

Introduction

Honda’s proud touring flagship, the venerable Gold Wing passes its 25-year
milestone this year with colours flying. Offering the same renowned combination
of confident performance—generated by its smooth and powerful 1,520cm3
flat-six engine—luxurious comfort and impeccable quality, the Gold Wing
traverses towns and continents in a style and level of prestige unchallenged
by any other touring machine.

It’s a fact, the “Gold” turns twenty- has a 1,500cm3 flat-six engine.
five. Its many years of experience and With extraordinary flexibility,
evolution or revolutions have made smoothness, torque and power
it a machine which is now a legend. available, there is no dissent
It must be said that its balance, on this flat-6.
its amazing ease of handling relative
to size and, of course, its engine Designed entirely for GT use,
which is sheer poetry are all part the comfort and appeal of the
of the allure. The GL1500 indeed Gold Wing are therefore unrivalled.

Introduced in 74 - Manufactured in USA - TOURING

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 GL1500SE Gold Wing
Colouring Concept

For the year 2000, the Gold Wing’s Colours

gorgeous elegance is further • Pearl Coronado Blue
emphasised with lustrous new (with Dark Coronado Blue)
chrome-plated head covers and • Candy Spectra Red
a sporty new, low-contrast two-tone (with Candy Garnet Red)
blue colour variation that gives an • Pearl Merced Green
unmistakable impression of moder- (with Dark Merced Green)
nity and strength. Carried over
from the preceding year are a richly
appointed two-tone red that exudes
a light and easy-going aura of enjoy-
ment and a majestic pearlescent green
with dark green accents to accentu-
ate its sedately attractive style.
Seats and interior trim for all three
variations are done entirely in black.
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 GL1500SE Gold Wing
Close-up

New Features • The riding position, saddle and gauges, a system for managing
• New chrome-plated headcovers suspension endow the GL with air temperature inside the fairing,
replace current buffed and clear- the best comfort of current bikes. a compressor to correct suspen-
coated pieces. • When it rains, a bike cover stored sion settings or to re-inflate
• Meter faces changed from black in the saddle stops your Gold Wing a tyre, electric reversing, etc.
characters on white background from getting wet. • Given its overall size, the GL1500
to white-on-black. • The engine is protected by is incredibly easy to handle. Along
• New colour variation. a chromed tubular guard. the same lines, it is very easy to
• The passenger is provided with place on its central stand thanks
General Features a large backrest and wide to a well designed lifting handle.
• The flat-six 12 valve water running boards, for comfort • The shaft and universal joint
cooled engine is the smoothest worthy of a saloon. drive guarantee reliability and
and most flexible on the market. • The stereo radio-cassette which peace of mind on a machine of
Very powerful and with enormous is part of the standard equipment this type. Very smooth and quiet,
torque (15.3kg-m at 4,000rpm), is particularly sophisticated: it contributes to the exceptional
it has very low inertia and shows two loudspeakers in front and overall appeal.
its willingness at all times. two at the rear, main controls • The GL1500 enjoys a two year
And what an impressive sound! on the handlebars and automatic warranty and benefits from the
• Integral braking (the pedal volume setting according to quality of the Honda service net-
operates the rear disc and one ambient noise level. work.
of the front discs) guarantees • The equipment list is among
stability and safety. the most comprehensive in
• The fairing and the large screen the motorcycle industry:
protect the rider and passenger the traditional instruments plus
very effectively. clock and instrument panel
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 GL1500SE Gold Wing
Evolution

At the end of 1972, the Gold Wing prototype was already a 1,470cc flat-6 cylinder.
But this engine was too long and was replaced by a more compact 4 cylinder with
a gearbox under the engine. The 1974 GL1000 came bursting out with unheard
of technical innovations. The choke was on the instrument panel, the kick-start
could be removed, the steering lock was linked to the starter, the fuel tank was
under the saddle, the clutch turned in the opposite direction to the engine to limit
torque effect, the three brakes were disc, etc. In 1978, the GL1000KZ got wire
wheels and a reinforced frame. Its stand was improved.

In 1979, the GL became an 1100cc with carburettors with accelerator absorbers and new brake callipers.
by increasing the bore by 3mm. pumps, electronic lighting, air fork Its gearbox staging was modified.
This was the first Honda made in (angle of 60.5° instead of 52°), In 1980 the GL1100 DX came with
the USA. This Gold came equipped rear combined oleo-pneumatic shock a fairing, saddlebags and top-case.

Prototype AOK
Flat-Six 1,470cm3 GL1000
80PS at 8,000rpm 1972 Introduced in 1974 1974
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 GL1500SE Gold Wing
Evolution

In 1982 the GL1100/2 had new In 1984 the GL1200 arrived on the to ensure optimum performance
discs, callipers with juxtaposed scene, with its new cylinder capacity at any temperature or altitude.
pistons and coupled braking. obtained through an increase in the
The fork was fitted with an anti-dive stroke (66mm instead of 61.4mm). For 1998, the GL1500 Gold Wing SE
system and the fifth gear was length- This was to be the last “flat-4”. came with new cylinder head covers,
ened to reduce fuel consumption. casing protection and disc brake
The Aspencade version had a At the end of 87, after 5 years’ covers. The instrument panel had a
compressor to pump up the suspen- gestation, Honda introduced the white background. The seat was two-
sion and tyres, a radio, running board, “flat-6” GL1500 with 60 different tone, set lower and with a redesigned
elbow rests for the pillion passenger prototypes and 20 engines. passenger seat. The silencers and
and a digital instrument panel. The GL1500 came with a reverse mudguards were new. All this to
gear. The carburettor had an embellish the undisputed must have
electronic management system when it comes to GT bikes.

GL1100DX GL1200 Aspencade

Fairing, panniers and top-case 1980 Last flat-four 1984

Small modifications on the saddle, the exhaust

First apparition of the 1,520cm3 Flat-Six pipes, the dashboard, the cylinder head covers
and the reverse gear. 1987 and the disc brake covers. 1998
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 GL1500SE Gold Wing

Colour Overview
1993

1994
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 GL1500SE Gold Wing
Colour Overview

1995
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 GL1500SE Gold Wing
Colour Overview

1996
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 GL1500SE Gold Wing
Colour Overview

1997
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 GL1500SE Gold Wing
Colour Overview

1998
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 GL1500SE Gold Wing
Colour Overview

1999
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 GL1500SE Gold Wing
Specifications

Specifications GL1500SE Gold Wing (ED-type)

Engine Liquid-cooled 4-stroke 12-valve SOHC horizontally opposed 6-cylinder

Bore × Stroke 71 × 64mm
Displacement 1,520cm3
Compression Ratio 9.8 : 1
Carburettors 33mm CV-type × 2
Max. Power Output 100PS/5,200rpm (DIN) (74kW/5,200min-1)
Max. Torque 15.3kg-m/4,000rpm (DIN) (150Nm/4,000min-1)
Ignition Fully transistorised electronic
Starter Electric
Transmission 5-speed
Final Drive Enclosed shaft
Dimensions (L×W×H) 2,615 × 955 × 1,495mm
Wheelbase 1,690mm
Seat Height 740mm
Ground Clearance 115mm
Fuel Capacity 23 litres
Wheels Front/Rear Cast aluminium alloy
Tyres Front 130/70–18 63H
Rear 160/80–16 75H
Suspension Front 41mm air-assist fork, 140mm axle travel
Rear Single hydraulic damper with coil spring and single air spring,
105mm axle travel
Brakes Front 296mm dual hydraulic disc with dual-piston callipers
and sintered metal pads
Rear 316mm hydraulic disc with dual-piston calliper and sintered metal pads
Dry Weight 372kg

All specifications are provisional and subject to change without notice.

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